All small business owners know how important it is to get your name out there so potential clients know about your products or services. Having a website is one of the best ways to do that, but how do you get your name out there?
That's where using a website builder like Squarespace(opens in a new tab), with plans that start at $14 per month, helps significantly. If you're self-employed, you're likely short on time, so it's reassuring to know that setting up a Squarespace website doesn't take more time than needed. The tricky bit is knowing which template to choose, as there are so many options out there when it comes to the best Squarespace templates for small business owners.
That's where we're here to help. Whether you're looking to highlight your work portfolio, advertise your services, or even sell products online, there's a Squarespace template for you. With that in mind, we've picked out different website templates for various purposes. Each will hopefully prove attractive to your customers, whether you're promoting your visual artist work or blogging to promote your way of thinking.
If you're still not entirely sold on needing a Squarespace account or an online portfolio, we've also helped explain some of the groundwork below. Read on while we take you through it all.
What is a Squarespace template?
A Squarespace template or theme is a pre-designed and ready-to-use demo website that you can apply to your own Squarespace website. Rather than needing to create a web design from scratch, small business owners can customize an existing design to get things just how they need them to look. This can include different colors, pages, fonts, and drag-and-drop elements like images, galleries, buttons, or forms.
There are dozens of different website templates out there, with each template built exclusively for Squarespace. Whether you're looking for one of the best Squarespace templates for any purpose, or you're specifically looking for the best Squarespace templates for blogs, there are plenty of options.
Is Squarespace the best website builder for small business owners?
Squarespace isn't the only website builder around. It's worth reading up on the differences between Wix and Squarespace, for instance, as both offer similar website builder services.
For the most part, though, we appreciate how easy and fast Squarespace is to use. It has an all-in-one approach. That means it can provide you with extensive web design options, website metrics, SEO features, SSL security, and unlimited bandwidth. It's an excellent one-stop shop for self-employed folk looking for a convenient solution, especially if you're not tech-savvy.
How does Squarespace compare with WordPress?
Squarespace and WordPress have a role for anyone looking for a high-quality website builder. WordPress is generally best for two very different purposes. If you solely need an incredibly basic blog, it's excellent and easy to set up. It's also ideal if you want to get deep into the web design aspect of things and make a unique site to promote your portfolio or online store.
However, it requires a lot more effort by small business owners, as you'll need to manage your own hosting and security and remember to update regularly. You may need to hire a developer to get things done too.
Alternatively, Squarespace templates are less flexible but have some great built-in features that allow you to figure things out more quickly. Squarespace also has valuable integrations for business owners like PayPal (to accept payments) and OpenTable (so potential clients can make reservations).
What kind of website should a small business owner have?
Much of this depends on your plan. Do you want a website template that works as a placeholder for your business, or are you looking to sell items via an online store? Other small business owners may need a place for a portfolio or a blog. Check out the templates tab on Squarespace's website(opens in a new tab) to see what's out there.
There's no harm in experimenting with a few different styles before launching your site. A portfolio may require a template that offers a large image. At the same time, creative entrepreneurs may want to focus on some of the best Squarespace templates for writers. instead, as well as imagery. Even if you're a videographer, there are plenty of Squarespace templates for videos too. It's all about finding the perfect template for you, which is as individual as your business plan.
Are Squarespace templates free?
Yes! While you'll need to sign up for a (paid) Squarespace account and subscribe to the website builder, all its templates are entirely free. There's no such thing as a premium Squarespace template or free Squarespace templates, as they're all made available to everyone starting at $14 per month.
That means small business owners have plenty of room to find the perfect Squarespace template for their needs.
The only thing to look out for is there are two different versions of Squarespace with 7.0 and 7.1. 7.1 is the newer version tied into the July 2022 rollout of Fluid Engine(opens in a new tab), Squarespace's next-gen content editor for 7.1 sites. If you're new to Squarespace, you'll automatically have this, but older users will need to rebuild their site to upgrade. Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1 treat templates differently. (For example, 7.0 categorizes them into families, but 7.1 doesn't so it's easier to swap templates.)
Are Squarespace templates mobile-friendly?
Yes, Squarespace templates are very mobile-friendly. That's only improved recently with Fluid Engine and 7.1 adding improved layout flexibility for mobile use. Besides ensuring your customers get a good experience when looking at your website on their smartphone, the templates are also optimized for SEO purposes, so you can enjoy a superior search engine rating than if you did it manually.
Squarespace templates can also be edited or updated via your smartphone, which can be particularly useful if you want to add content while on the road.
However you plan on setting up your Squarespace website, it's pretty much impossible to make an ugly one. If you need inspiration, however, read on and check out our look at the best Squarespace templates for small business owners.
Note: Most of our recommendations are from Squarespace version 7.1, but we've sprinkled in a few options from version 7.0 that continue to stand out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.
